As the weather here in Italy worsens (rain, rain and more rain), and seeing that I totally dislike going out in the rain (my hair just can’t bear the dampness and tends to get quite frizzy -ugh), I’ve been spending some time reading international newspapers and looking at two of the most famous book charts (The Times’ and The New York Times’) so as to get some ideas about what to read on the beach during the soon-to-arrive (hopefully) summer season.

Searching for those books on Amazon.com, I not only discovered that they almost all deal with similar subjects (murders, intrigues, revenge, investigations, mystery), but that they mostly all share the same cover style, filled with highly evocative images drawn using dark colors, such as black, blue and green.

A book’s cover can in fact be considered its business card, or, even better, as its photo. It must tell us something about the plot, it has to introduce us to the atmosphere. It may also show us the characters, or the location where the action takes place.

And yes, there are some unwritten rules when it comes to choosing a cover. For example, the majority of chick-lit covers are an explosion of colorful and quirky drawings (think, for instance, at Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic in Manhattan, with its juicy and bright colored tote) whilst the majority of detective stories have gloomy and dark images, seeking to evoke the story’s atmosphere.

A good cover is similar to a product’s packaging: the better it works at attracting the potential reader’s attention, the more it will sell. However, what I think is quite surprising is that, apparently, what readers are looking for today are quite painful and bloody stories, stuffed with murders, revenge and pain. As if everyday life was not tough enough.

Let’s so go back to the pink and glittered atmospheres and to the amusing adventures of the chick-lit books. They may not be in the Times’ charts, but they definitely have scrumptious covers.

Plus, they definitely would match better with your swimsuits and parasol.

The New York Times: Hardcover Fiction Bestsellers of the Week (Top 5)

1. Where Are You Now? Mary Higgins Clark
2. Unaccustomed Earth Jhumpa Lahiri
3. Certain Girls Jennifer Weiner
4. Belong to Me Marisa de los Santos
5. Small Favour Jim Butcher

The Times: Hardcover Fiction Bestsellers of the Week (Top 5)

1. Revelation CJ Sansom
2. Nothing to Lose Lee Child
3, A Prisoner of Birth Jeffrey Archer
4. The Navigator Clive Cussler
5. The Miracle at Speedy Motors Alexander McCall Smith

Images courtesy of Amazon

Filed under: Books